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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Our Second Chance Program

Our Second Chance program is the only one of its kind in the U.S. This program is for families who have previously adopted a child, either internationally or in the U.S., and the child’s adjustment has not gone well. The family enrolls their child with our program, and we work to help locate possible adoptive families who have had experience in the type of struggles this child is having. The child’s family selects the new family from the ones we present to them. We screen applicants, and then when a suitable applicant family is found, we forward that family’s info to the current family and then set up some phone calls and also possible visits so the new potential family can meet the child if they would like this (a visit isn’t required). When the child’s family selects a new family, the families each use the services of an adoption lawyer for relinquishment, consents and finalization of the new adoption. These types of adoptions are called Direct Consent, so WIA isn’t technically placing the child into the new home, like our traditional programs do, but instead we help guide both sets of families through the private adoption process so that all the legalities of both states are fulfilled.

We have our fees for this type of adoption as low as possible. In every single case, the first family is in so much pain and crisis, and the new family is taking on the challenge of parenting a child who already has not worked out in the first home.

Nearly every day I talk to families in such crises. Today a family called about a 6 year old they adopted from Hong Kong who has autism and is very violent. Amazingly we have been able to find families for all the children we list.

We use the internet to post a story about the child, using a false name, but using real photos. Our Second Chance Facebook site has over 10,000 members, and when we post a child, there are 10’s of 1000’s of cross posts. Our administrative page shows that we often have 100,000 or more people view the post! It has been as high as 300,000 views of a child.